Method and apparatus for deep well pumping



Nov. 24, 1931. I H. B. DAVIDSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEEP WELLPUMPING Filed March 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l b A- -A Pl L w mo," i

Harold/ B. Davidson.

'INVENTOR.

ab BY ,8 PM, a ,3 .W

ATTORNEY.

H. B. DAVIDSON 1,833,827

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DEEP WELL PUMPING File d March 9, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

INVENTOR. Harold/ B. Davidson.

BY flow-Z. m

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR DEEP WELL PUMIPIN G Application filed March 9, 1929.Serial No. 345,656.

This invention relates to certain improved methods and apparatus forelevating water and the novel feature thereof will be set forth in thefollowing Specification and claims.

The major objects are to locate all the mechanical apparatus at thesurface above and eliminate the moving parts from certain deep Wellpumps now requiring rods, cylinders, pistons, et cetera, disposed in thewell tube below the surface as well as cumbersome surface equipment andto materially reduce the cost of apparatus required for a given service,also to materially reduce the maintenance ofsame.

My invention consists of increasing the suction range of an independentsuction pump for liquids, so that the normal suction of said pump willdraw liquids from a lower level to a higher level in excess of theaccepted nor-. mal maximum suction range of said pump.

Figures 1 and 2 are combined vertical section and diagrammaticrepresentations of the apparatus employed in illustrating my invention.I 1 z Fig. 3. is a vertical section of a modification of the structurewhich may be used in the practice'of my invention.

Referring-to drawings,1 indicates a well tube, which is extended down tothe stratum or level from which a liquid is to be elevated and deliveredabove at a higher level, the well tube itself being constructed in anyone of the usual accepted forms. 2 represents an ordinary liquidsuction: pump operated by an electric motor 211 orother suitable meansand can be connected on its discharge side to tank 3 and on its intakeside to pipe 4and head 5. From one opening in 5, pipe 6 extends into thewell tube and terminates with a foot valve 7 in chamber 8, however, thisvalve 7 is not essential. This pipe 6 is hermetically sealed'at itscontact 6a with chamber 8. To another outlet of 5, pipe 9 is attachedand is in communication with spring valve 1 0 and diaphragm valve 13 andextends on through pipe 14 and is hermetically sealed at 14a withchamber 8. Valve 10 communicates with diaphragm valve 13 through pipe10m.

Pipe 8a extends downward from chamber 7 spond to 8 andterminates in afoot valve Sbwhich,

ber 17 which corresponds to chamber 8 of the other figures.

In valve 10 compression spring 106 is so mounted as to hold the movablevalve mem her 100, which is attached to diaphragm'lla, off the seat 10dso as to provide communication to the suction pump on the lower side ofvalve 11, so that when the vacuum attains a predetermined stage, valve10 will close and thereby interruptthe suction which extended on intochamber 13a of valve 13 and chamber 8 via pipes 10a and 14. The movablevalve member 100 which is attached to the under surface of diaphragm 11aoccupies a -relatively large portion of the area of the diaphragm. Asthis member 100 is brought down into contact with the valve seat 11dthere is a consequently large reduction in the lower surface of thediaphragm that can be affected by the atmospheric pressure admittedthrough valve 130. For this reason the diaphragm is subject first, tothe vacuum applied through the pipe 9, second, to the at mosphericpressure upon the entire upper surface of diaphragm 11a, both of whichtend .to keep the diaphragm depressed while the third influence, theweak spring 10?) tends to raise the diaphragm but is insufiicient toovercome either the vacuum through pipe 9 or thefull atmosphericpressure on the top of the diaphrag The fourth influence is theatmospheric pressure effective on that reduced portion of the lowersurface of the diaphragm 1111 which is'not occupied by the valve member100. The upward pressure of the atmosphere on this portion of thediaphragm does not equalize the atmospheric pressure from above. The sumof these effects is to from entering at 130 by reason of movable valvemember 13d being held against valve seat 136. As pump 2 is put intooperation and the vacuum begins to increase, suction is created inchamber 8 throughboth the env trance pipes 14 and 6. In this specificcase 6 into the pump and fers less resistance to. the pump the vacuum isapplied to elevating water from a well in which the ordinary suctionpump equipment can raise it only part-way and for the sake ofillustration'dotted line 'A-A will be accepted; as the maximum.

Afterthe liquid has been elevated to this level, the suction will haveincreased to the maximum delivered by the selected pump, whereupon valve10, by reason of a predetermined adjustment of spring 101), will closejust prior to the opening of valve 13 which admits air at atmosphericpressure through same, which immediately is directed to the top ofchamber 8 via pipe 14. Spring 13?) is also fixed to effect thisoperation. Foot valve 8?; holds the liquid from escape and the liquidfrom chamber 8 now passes through pipe is discharged into tank 3 via aireliminating valve 18. When the pump has discharged the Water in chamber8 and pipe 6, the vacuum in 8 and consequently head 5 and pipe 9 will bebroken by reason of the presence of atmospheric air admitted throughvalve 13d and pipe 14. At this time the pipe 6 will have been emptied ofliquid and replaced with an equivalent column of air under atmosphericpressure. This air of 2 and has a greater velocity so that the vacuum inhead 5 and pipe 9 is greatly only slightly less than atmosphericpressure. This is the determining factor in the control of the diaphragm11a which then has the atmospheric pressure on its upper surface opposedby the same pressure on its free under surface and by only slightlyreduced pressure beneath the valve 100, whereupon spring 0 will openvalve 10 and spring 13?) will close valve 13 and thereby completes thecycle which continues to repeat.

Valve 18 consists of a ball float 18a and valve 180 which it actuates.Presence 0 water in 18 will keep 181) closed whereas air or a mixture ofair and water will allow this P valve to open and air to escape .at 186.18 may be used to add air to tank 3. l

In Fig. 2 pump 2 discharges directly into tank 3 which is of the closedair pressure type The air in said tank is employed through a slightlydifferent arrangement of valves to that in Fig. 1 to apply air atgreater than atmospheric pressure to chamber 8 so as to force the liquidfrom this chamber to a higher reduced or becomes 7 f with liquid levelin pipe 6 than when only atmospheric pressure is employed, so as tofurther extend the pumping range of an independent suction pump. Valve20 is of the well known pressure reducing type, while valves 10 and 13are similar or identical with those'shown in Fig. 1, the connection,however, is somewhat different. When the pump is inactive, valve 13remains closed and valve 10 is open. As the suction in lines 6 and 14reach a predetermined value, valve 10 is forced closed by reason of itsconnection with chamber 5 through pipe 5a whereupon high vacuum whichpipe 50 13 causes it to raise diaphragm and movable valve memberliidfrom its seat 13c and admit air from tank 13, at greater thanatmospheric pressure, via line 21, valve 20, pipe 22, top side of valve10, which is now closed to the suction line, and into pipe 14 whichdirects the admitted pressure on to the liquid in tank 8 which had beenpreviously filled by suction from pump 2, as ex lained.

It will be noted that cham er 8 must be placed in well tube well withinthe range of the pumps ability to elevate water into same and that footvalve 6a should preferably be disposed substantially as illustrated, i.e. adjacent lower levels of said chamber.

In a typical installation of the apparatus disclosed in Fig. 2, pump 2is started with the resultant suction built up in all lines.communicating with pipe 4 which causes tank'8 to be filled with liquid.This suction continues until a vacuum ofapproximately seventeen inchesof mercury is attained when spring 10?) yields to diaphragm 11a andcloses valve 10. suction is continued I municating side of valve 13in-line 50 and the comfor the purpose of establishing an opening atvalve seat 130,

1; cracks and is then immediately thrown wide open by the suction on oneside and air pressure from tank 3 through pressure reducing valve 20 onthe other side. This pressure is now led by line 14 to tank 8*which wasfilled as explained supra. Here we have the liquid rising in line 6until the ump takes it as in normal operation. As the liquid passesthrough the pump the vacuum gradually falls until the end of the liquidis reached. As thisliquid'is followed by actual pressure from thetankthe pump is obliged to remove same from the communicating lines. Duringthis part of the cycle a combination pressure-vacuum gauge .will show asmall am'ount'of pressure. Valve 10 has opened approximatelyas the lastof. the

the relatively carries to valve With valve 10 closed liquid has passedthrough the pump due to reduced suction on its diaphragm. Thisimmediately closes valve 13, thereby cutting off the flow of air fromtank 3. The air in the lines is'now delivered back into tank 3 by thepump and the system now has completed one cycle and automaticallyimmediately starts on a new one. I

A series of successive operating units such as described may beemployed, the arrangement, type and structural form of the operatingvalves may be modified and in fact various changes in the apparatus usedto disclose the invention can be effected without departing from thespirit of my invention. Therefore, I Wish to be limited only by theappended claims.

I claim 1. A method of increasing the normal maximum range .of anindependent liquid suction pump so that said pump will draw liquids froma lower level to ahigher level in excess of said normal maximum range ofsaid pump by applying the suction from said pump to lift liquids from alow level to an intermediate level, then diverting the suction andadmitting atmospheric pressure to lift the liquids from the intermediatelevel, said diversion of suction being made de endent upon the increasein the degree 0 vacuum attained.

2. A method of increasing the normal maximum range of an independentliquid suction pump so that said pump will draw liquids from a lowerlevel and discharge same at a higher level in excess of said normalmaximum range of said pump by applying the suction from said pump tolift liquids from a low level to an intermediate level, then divertingthe suction and admitting atmospheric pressure to lift the liquids fromthe intergmediate level, said diversion of suction being made dependentupon the increase in the degree of vacuum attained and subsequentlyre-applying the suction to lift liquids from the low level.

3. A method of increasing the normal maximum suction range of anindependent liquid suction pump located adjacent the discharge level byapplying the suction from said pump to lift liquids from a low level toan intermediate level, then diverting the suction to lift the liquidsfrom the intermediate suction being madelevel, said diversion ofdependent upon the increase in the degree of vacuum attained during itsfirst application, and thereafter applying the suction and adliftliquids from the levels alternately on the attainment of thepredetermined degree of vacuum.

4. Apparatus for pumping liquids from a given level to a higher one bymeans of a suction pump for liquids, which consists of a plurality ofspaced chambers in a well tube in communication with said suction pump,

means for alternately applying a vacuum produced by said pump and thenadmitting air, at greater than atmospheric pressure, into one of saidchambers and thereby cause the liquid to rise said pump to draw theliquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump and the atmosphericpressure existing in said chamber.

5. Apparatus for pumping liquids from a given level to a higher one bymeans of a suction pump for liquids, which consists of a plurality ofspaced valved chambers in a well tube in communication with said suctionpump, means for alternately applying a vacuum produced by said pump andthen admitting air, at greater than atmospheric pressure, into one ofsaid valved chambers and thereby cause the liquid to rise to asufliciently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said levelbythe vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in saidchamber.

6. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids,from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive sectionsconstituting a Well v tube, provided with a discharge adjacent the upperend, a valve controlling the lower end of said well tube, a secondarychamber located therein, means for applying vacuum produced by said pumpto the sections and means controlled by the vacuum produced by saidsuction pump for periodically admitting air to the secondary chamber andthereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufiiciently high level for saidpump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum of the pump andthe atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

7. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids,from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valvedsections constituting a well tube, pro vided with a discharge adjacentthe upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a

valved secondary chamber located therein, means for applying vacuumproduced by said pump to the valved sections and means controlled by thevacuum produced by said suction pump for periodically admitting air tothe secondary chamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to asufliciently high level for said pump to draw the liquid from said levelby the vacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in saidchamber.

8. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids,from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valvedsections constituting a well tube, provided with a discharge adjacentthe upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a valved secondarychamber located therein and remote from the ends of said well tube,means for applying vacuum produced by said pump to the valved sectionsand means for periodically admitting air, at greater than to asufiiciently high level for atmospheric pressure, to the secondarychamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufiiciently highlevel for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum ofthe pump and the atmospheric pres-- sure'existing in said chamber.

9. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids,from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valvedsections constituting a well tube, provided with a discharge adjacentthe upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a valved secondarychamber located therein and remote from the ends of said well tube,means for applying vacuum produced by said pum to the valved sectionsand means controlled by the vacuum produced bv said suction pump forperiodically admitting air, at atmospheric pressure, to the secondaryvchamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufficiently highlevel for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by the vacuum ofthe pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in said chamber.

10. In an apparatus for elevating liquids by a suction pump for liquids,from a lower level to a higher level, comprising successive valvedsections constituting a well tube, provided with a discharge adjacentthe upper end, a valve controlling said well tube, a valved secondarychamber located therein and remote from the end of said well tube, meansfor applying vacuum produced by said pump to the valved sections andmeans controlled by the vacuum provided by said suction pump forperiodically admitting air, at greater than atmospheric pressure, to thesecondary chamber and thereby cause the liquid to rise to a sufficientlyhigh level for said pump to draw the liquid from said level by thevacuum of the pump and the atmospheric pressure existing in saidchamber.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HAROLD B. DAVIDSON.

